SIOUX FALLS

Homeland Security Sec. Kristi Noem hospitalized after allergic reaction: reports

Sioux Falls Live staff reports — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 21:50:40 GMT

WASHINGTON — Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was taken to a Washington, DC, hospital on Tuesday, according to multiple media reports.

Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, told the New York Times that the hospitalization was due to an allergic reaction, and the hospitalization was "out of an abundance of caution."

"She is alert and recovering," McLaughlin told the Times.

CNN reported that the former South Dakota governor was conscious and has spoken to her security detail at the hospital.

Specific details regarding her condition, including a timeline for release, remained unclear, as of late Tuesday afternoon.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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91 years on, reminders of John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson gang bank robbery remain

Erik Kaufman — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 12:41:00 GMT

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — There's a small concrete patch covering a hole in the Johnson, Janklow & Abdallah law office in downtown Sioux Falls, South Dakota, that's not easily noticed.

Located on one of the towering columns gracing the building’s east wall, the patch is just a few inches off the ground, applied to cover a hole from a bullet fired from a Thompson machine gun. While not overly noticeable, it's a big reminder of an intense Tuesday morning in 1934 when the John Dillinger and Baby Face Nelson gang arrived at what was then the Security National Bank and Trust.

They were there for the money inside, and they weren’t taking no for an answer.

“I grew up in Sioux Falls, so I remember as a kid and even in high school my dad and others had told me that that’s the building that John Dillinger and Baby Face Nelson robbed,” Scott Abdallah, managing partner at the law firm, told the Mitchell Republic in a recent interview. “As I understand it, they came in here, kind of got in here without a lot of fanfare, and they told everybody — get on the ground.”

It was the morning of March 6, 1934, another busy Tuesday in South Dakota’s most populous city. But the events that unfolded over the next several minutes remain a part of Sioux Falls history.

A violent robbery

The front page of The Daily Argus-Leader evening edition dated March 6, 1934, was awash with news about the robbery. By the time the sun set that evening, it was about all anyone in the community could talk about.

“Bandits Get $46,000; Hostages Freed, Trail Car; Keith Alive” and “Six Men Armed With Machine Guns Hold Police, Crowd At Bay As They Rob Security National” kicked off the coverage. The headlines cascaded down the front page from there: “Volleys Fired During Holdup,” “Girl Hostages Have Cold Ride With Robbers,” “Bandit Gloats As He Cuts Down Officer With Gun” and “Man Near Keith When He Is Shot Tells Of Brief Conversation” all tell an aspect of the morning’s events.

It all recounted the story of the gang headed by Dillinger, who was at the height of a yearlong crime spree from 1933 to 1934 where he and his gang robbed a number of banks and police stations across the country, and his legacy of becoming one of the most famous criminals in the world. Accounts from 1934 vary on who exactly was involved, but according to materials at Abdallah’s downtown office, those who pulled off the robbery that day included Nelson, Pretty Boy Floyd, Homer Van Meter, Harry Pierpont and Dillinger himself.

The action began that morning, when the criminals rolled up to the bank in a stolen brand-new 1934 Packard automobile. Contemporary reports suggest that bank employees were already suspicious of the vehicle when it arrived outside, but it became clear what was going on once they entered the bank. It also became clear to outlookers outside.

“Somebody hit the alarm, and that really ticked them off. Now the bells are going off at the bank, and so that can be heard outside,” Abdallah said. “There were hundreds of cars that then gathered because people then understood that there was probably a bank robbery going on.”

As some of the crew entered the bank and others remained outside in the vehicle, a crowd gathered, curious about what was going on. Among those who had arrived on the scene to investigate was Hale Keith, a motorcycle police patrolman.

One of the robbers, alleged to have been Nelson, spotted Keith through the northside window that looked out onto the street. He took aim and sprayed bullets through the window, shattering it and striking Keith several times, according to the report from the Daily Argus-Leader. The paper referred to the machine gun as a “typewriter” due to the noise it made and noted that the shooter gleefully shouted “I got one, I got one!” when he hit Keith.

Abdallah said his law firm began leasing the building about 15 years ago after having occupied another downtown building, and since then the interior has undergone an intensive renovation, but many elements still provide a connection to the robbery. A sunlit conference room now occupies the space where Nelson raked Keith with gunfire through the window.

Keith reportedly survived his brush with death, Abdallah said.

“The police started to converge on the building, and there’s a cop who ran down Ninth Street, and he ran right in front of our main conference room,” Abdallah said. “And Nelson, the story goes, was standing on a transaction table with a machine gun, and he saw the cop and just shot through the window. And somehow the cop lived.”

Making an escape

If bank employees and onlookers weren’t concerned before, the violent nature of the robbery and noise from machine gun fire certainly inspired panic. And the robbers took advantage of the chaos to grab as much loot as they could.

They demanded cash and got it — approximately $46,000 from accounts of the time, which translates to more than $1.1 million in 2025 currency — although the take was far less than the bandits had hoped for. A customer who was in the bank prior to the gangsters entering saw his safety deposit box plundered right in front of him by a member of the group. Another newspaper report from Alice Blegen, an employee of the bank who was later taken hostage, told the Daily Argus-Leader that the robbers used “descriptive language” with customers and employees as they held them at gunpoint, scooped up loose cash and called for the bank president to open the cash chests.

With the clock ticking and police alerted to the situation, the four gang members inside the building grabbed five employees — Mildred Bostwick, Emma Knabach, Leo Olson, Mary Lucas and Blegen — and forced them outside to the waiting Packard. There they were forced to stand on the vehicle’s running boards to act as human shields against potential police fire.

Laying down more gunfire, they then began to make their escape, using every trick they could think of to keep the police off their trail. That included dropping nails on the road behind them, an example of which is in the collection of the Siouxland Heritage Museums.

“They had bank tellers and an executive on the running board of the car to protect themselves, and then they threw these roofing nails to pop the police tires,” Abdallah said.

They drove off in the direction of Minnesota Avenue, eventually releasing Olson near 41st Street and the remaining hostages once the car had reached the countryside. With it technically being a late winter day and having no time to put on their topcoats, the hostages’ journey with the robbers was described as “a cold ride” by the Daily Argus-Leader.

Despite the intensity and violence, Blegen said the robbers were less hostile once they were away from town and the police, which jibed with Dilliger’s reputation as an otherwise personable individual and Robin Hood-type folk hero and celebrity among some of the public.

But it was still a scary, unforgettable experience, she said.

“It was a terrible experience. One which we will never forget. The bandits were nice enough after we reached the outskirts of town, but naturally we were frightened. The windows on the car were lowered and helping hands made it possible for us to remain on the running board,” Blegen told the Daily Argus-Leader. “I for one certainly hope I will never have to go through this again.”

From there the robbers evaded interstate police and airplane patrols as they made their way east through Minnesota. The stolen money, which was fully covered by insurance, was never recovered.

What was left behind was a trail of roofing nails, a seriously wounded police officer and frazzled public. Also left behind were several bullet pockmarks on the exterior of the building, which today are filled in with small concrete patches, including the one by the east door entrance of the building.

Later that year, Dillinger was gunned down by law enforcement outside a theater in Chicago after an acquaintance turned on him, bringing his reign of crime to an end. Federal officers confronted Dillinger after he exited a movie theater.

“So when they came out of the movie theater, the FBI had it surrounded and they saw him walk out and they yelled, ‘Hey, Johnny!’ And he turned and they just unloaded on him. They lit him up," Abdallah said.

Coincidentally, the movie Dillinger saw that night was “Manhattan Melodrama,” a gangster drama starring Clark Gable.

Legacy

The event shocked the Sioux Falls community, which had been experiencing relative prosperity despite the ongoing national depression. Kevin Gansz, curator of education for Siouxland Heritage Museums, said the town, then with a population of just over 33,000, was seeing building permits on the rise, had a profitable agriculture and meat packing industry and its retail sector had done about $18 million in business that year, more than twice any other city in South Dakota.

No longer a bank, the structure at 101 S. Main Ave. still stands as a reminder of those days. It was built in 1915, though World War I delayed its completion until early 1917 because of the scarcity of materials, Gansz said. It was proclaimed the first steel skeletal office building in South Dakota, and over the years has been home to banks, doctors and other law offices. A historic marker now details the event on the outside of the building, and Abdallah said he occasionally sees visitors reading and talking about it from his office window.

The main two floors are now occupied by the law firm and have been extensively renovated, but there are plenty of artifacts from the robbery that remain, including the massive 28,000 pound main vault that the robbers raided, which was at one point was relocated to the bottom floor of the building and is now another conference room with a unique entrance.

“I bet there are 12 to 15 vaults in this building,” Abdallah said, pausing next to the wall where the main vault was once located. The wall now displays various pieces of memorabilia related to the building and robbery.

The office is a peaceful space now, quieter than even a bank lobby on a slow day. Walls are lined with legal reference books, and deep wood highlights and high ceilings make for a warm environment. Quiet chatter from adjacent offices drifts through the air. It makes it hard to believe that more than 90 years ago, a scene like that from a movie played out in real time there.

The nature of the robbery was so cinematic that it was even later featured in the 2009 historical biodrama film “Public Enemies,” in which Dillinger is portrayed by Johnny Depp, although the filmmakers portrayed the Sioux Falls robbery as an amalgamation of several robberies the gang committed in the Midwest around that time. An example of this is Dillinger being depicted has having been shot during the Sioux Falls robbery, which actually occurred later during a robbery in Mason City, Iowa.

Scenes from the film depicting the Sioux Falls robbery were filmed at stand-in locations in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

Abdallah enjoys talking about the robbery, even if he prefers the comparatively serene environment his law office provides. The historic nature of the building will always be an interesting talking point, however, and he admits it is fun walking through the front door and the main vault entrance, knowing that some of the most famous mobsters from the 1930s had done the same.

“We tell people sometimes that we feel like a caretaker of a museum when we come to work. We’ve got our job to do, but we feel that we need to really treasure this space because it’s got a lot of history and a lot of meaning. So, yeah, it’s an honor to come to work here,” Abdallah said.

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South Dakota Legislature passes eminent domain ban for carbon pipelines

Joshua Haiar / South Dakota Searchlight — Wed, 05 Mar 2025 05:18:54 GMT

A four-year controversy that has shaken South Dakota’s Republican political establishment culminated Tuesday in the Legislature’s passage of a ban on eminent domain for carbon dioxide pipelines.

The state Senate voted 23-12 to approve the bill, which previously passed the House, and sent it to Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden for his signature or veto. He declined to state his position on the bill during recent press conferences. His spokeswoman issued a statement Tuesday in response to a question from South Dakota Searchlight.

“Governor Rhoden is committed to protecting landowner rights and keeping South Dakota Open for Opportunity,” the statement said. “He has a wealth of knowledge on both eminent domain and property rights issues, and he is well aware of all the arguments in this discussion. He will be carefully considering this bill in the coming days.”

The legislation would prohibit carbon pipeline companies from acquiring land by eminent domain. That’s the right to access private property for projects that benefit the public, with just compensation determined by a court. Eminent domain is commonly used for projects such as electrical power lines, water pipelines, oil pipelines and highways.

Sen. Tom Pischke, R-Dell Rapids, supported the bill. He called it a response to an outcry from landowners.

“Private companies should not be able to take South Dakotans’ land against their will,” Pischke said.

Sen. Mark Lapka, R-Leola, also supported the legislation.

“I don’t want to see us go down a path where eminent domain becomes a way of doing business,” he said.

Lapka owns land near the proposed route of Iowa-based Summit Carbon Solutions’ $9 billion pipeline. So does the bill’s main House sponsor, Rep. Karla Lems, R-Canton.

The pipeline would transport carbon dioxide from more than 50 ethanol plants in five states, including eastern South Dakota, to an underground storage site in North Dakota. The project would qualify for billions in federal tax credits incentivizing the sequestration of heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions.

Summit issued a statement after the bill’s passage Tuesday.

“Summit Carbon Solutions has been inclusive — signing easement agreements with more than 500 landowners, working with nearly every ethanol plant, and ensuring economic benefits for farmers and ethanol producers in the upper Midwest,” the statement said, in part.

The company went on to label its project as important to “American energy dominance” and said “South Dakota should be part of that future.”

Summit was denied a permit by South Dakota’s Public Utilities Commission in 2023, largely due to the route’s conflicts with local ordinances that mandate minimum distances between pipelines and existing features. The company has since made some adjustments to its route and reapplied, and that application is pending.

The project has received permits in Iowa, Minnesota and North Dakota, while Nebraska does not have a permitting process, and some of the permits have been challenged in court.

Lapka and Lems are among the legislators who were motivated to run for office by their opposition to Summit’s potential use of eminent domain. The company has voluntary agreements called easements with some landowners but will likely need eminent domain to complete its project. Summit’s eligibility to use eminent domain in South Dakota is being challenged in court.

Since Summit announced its plan in 2021, a politically diverse grassroots movement has formed across South Dakota to oppose it, mixing everything from Republican climate change deniers to Democrats concerned about the fate of family farms.

Last year, after state lawmakers passed legislation placing new restrictions on carbon pipelines and implementing new protections for landowners and counties — without banning the use of eminent domain — opponents petitioned the legislation to the ballot and defeated it. They also helped to oust 14 Republican incumbent legislators in last June’s primary.

The new makeup of this year’s Legislature, with more pipeline critics and some of them elevated to leadership positions, made the passage of the eminent domain ban likely.

Supporters of the bill said it’s necessary to protect landowners from having their property accessed and developed by a private corporation against their will. The bill’s opponents said it could harm the ethanol industry, which is seeking ways to lower its carbon footprint as some states and countries limit sales of carbon-intensive fuels.

Yet carbon dioxide can also be injected into old oil wells — such as in North Dakota’s Bakken oil fields — to bring more oil to the surface, leading some critics of carbon sequestration to label it as a boondoggle ultimately benefiting oil companies.

One legislator invoked that possibility as a positive, and a reason to oppose the eminent domain ban.

“Governor [Kelly] Armstrong is talking about how this has the potential for us to retrieve the remaining oil that’s left in the Bakken,” said Sen. Casey Crabtree, R-Madison, in reference to North Dakota’s governor.

According to reporting by the North Dakota Monitor, Armstrong recently called for policies that promote using carbon dioxide to enhance oil recovery in the Bakken.

Sen. David Wheeler, R-Huron, also opposed the bill. He said it unfairly singles out one type of project. He introduced a failed amendment to allow carbon pipeline companies to use eminent domain if they first obtain agreements with 75% of affected landowners.

“Eminent domain has existed since the country was founded,” Wheeler said. “And we determined, long ago, that public use includes development that goes across the states.”

Senate Majority Leader Jim Mehlhaff, R-Pierre, was one of the most vocal critics of the bill.

“It tells developers that South Dakota is not open for business,” he said. “It tells them that if enough people get together and raise enough ruckus, they can get enough senators elected and House members elected that they’ll come to Pierre and cut the legs off your project.”

Other bills targeting carbon pipelines were heard in the Senate State Affairs Committee later Tuesday. The committee voted 5-4 to reject legislation that would place a moratorium on carbon pipeline permits until new federal safety regulations for the projects are finalized. The committee voted 5-4 to advance a bill that would empower landowners to sue for alleged deception, fraud, harassment, intimidation or misrepresentation by pipeline land agents.

South Dakota Searchlight’s Seth Tupper and Makenzie Huber contributed to this report.

This story was originally published on SouthDakotaSearchlight.com.
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Lalley: John Thune is the new majority leader in the U.S. Senate

Patrick Lalley — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 17:18:03 GMT

A South Dakotan now holds one of the most influential jobs in the world.

Sen. John Thune was selected by his Republican colleagues on Wednesday, Nov. 13, to serve as the next majority leader of the U.S. Senate.

Thune succeeds Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell, the longest-serving Senate leader in history.

“I am extremely honored to have earned the support of my colleagues to lead the Senate in the 119th Congress, and I am beyond proud of the work we have done to secure our majority and the White House,” Thune said in a statement shortly after the results became public just after 11 a.m. Wednesday. “This Republican team is united behind President Trump’s agenda, and our work starts today.”

The vote was 29-24, according to New York Times reporter Luke Broadwater.

“On the second ballot, Republican senators have selected John Thune of South Dakota to lead them by a vote of 29-24, according to two people familiar with the closed-door vote,” Broadwater posted.

We’ll follow this story throughout the day. In the meantime, here’s a column I wrote about Thune last week.

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Sanford Health announces another merger plan, less than a year after last try

Robin Huebner — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 22:39:40 GMT

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Sanford Health is making another play for a merger, less than a year after stepping back from its previous attempt.

The Sioux Falls-based system, described as the largest rural health system in the U.S., has announced plans to merge with Marshfield Clinic Health System, serving rural Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Sanford said in a news release.

If approved, the combined system will join nearly 56,000 employees, 56 hospitals and 271 clinics.

The merger of the two nonprofit systems is expected to close by year’s end, subject to regulatory approval.

Sanford Health said there are no immediate changes for employees or for those each system serves, the release said.

“We are excited to combine our common purpose to lead the way for the future, drive innovation and solve the most pressing challenges facing rural health care,” Sanford President and CEO Bill Gassen said in the release.

Dr. Brian Hoerneman, interim CEO of Marshfield Clinic Health System, said the partnership presents an incredible opportunity.

“Together, we will ensure sustainable access to exceptional care for our communities for years to come,” Hoerneman said in the release.

If the combination is approved, the name of the parent company will be Sanford Health, with system headquarters in Sioux Falls.

Marshfield Clinic Health System will be a region within Sanford Health and maintain regional leadership with its flagship campus in Marshfield, Wisconsin, a regional board of directors, a regional physician executive council and regional brand presence.

As for overall leadership, Gassen will serve as president and CEO of the combined system and Hoerneman will serve as president and CEO of the Marshfield Clinic Health System region, the release said.

Sanford Health's last merger attempt fell apart in late July 2023, when Sanford and Minnesota-based Fairview Health Services announced they were ending those efforts.

At the time, Gassen said Sanford Health determined it was in the system’s best interest to discontinue the merger process because the transaction lacked support “from certain Minnesota stakeholders."

The Minnesota Nurses Association also reported the proposed $11.7 billion Sanford and Fairview merger could result in reduced services and higher prices.

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What happened to Ellabeth Lodermeier? Police renew call for tips on five-decade mystery

Hunter Dunteman — Thu, 07 Mar 2024 19:46:25 GMT

SIOUX FALLS — It’s been five decades since Ellabeth Mae Lodermeier was last seen, and the Sioux Falls Police Department is seeking any new information that could help find her.

Ellabeth was last seen at her home in the 300 block of North Indiana Avenue in Sioux Falls on March 6, 1974. When she didn’t show up to work the following day, coworkers joined her estranged husband, Gene, in conducting a welfare check at Ellabeth’s home.

Police records say that when the group arrived, Ellabeth’s home was locked and her car remained in the driveway. A partially eaten pizza was located inside, and flour was found to have been spilled on the floor.

Her purse and jacket, however, were missing.

Ellabeth and Gene were known to have traveled often in the immediate area, but it wasn’t until Sept. 20, 1974, that credit cards belonging to Ellabeth had been located in a train station bathroom in Dauphin, Manitoba, Canada, roughly 650 miles away from Sioux Falls.

Despite the discovery, investigators say no evidence points toward Ellabeth being in Manitoba.

More evidence wouldn’t be found for nearly two decades, when in April 1992, Ellabeth’s wallet, checkbook and more credit cards were found in a hole along the Big Sioux River to the east of Sioux Falls.

Authorities say Gene was the last person known to see Ellabeth, and that he is considered as a person of interest in Ellabeth’s disappearance.

Though Gene died in 2013, the Sioux Falls Police Department says it continues to search for any details related to Ellabeth’s disappearance or unusual behavior from Gene.

Ellabeth was last seen wearing a blue pea coat, blue shirt, and blue jeans. Ellabeth was 5-foot-1, 105 pounds with light brown hair and green eyes.

Anyone with any information on the disappearance of Ellabeth is asked to contact Detective Pat Mertes by phone at 605-978-6797, by email or by mail at 320 West Fourth Street, Sioux Falls, SD 57104. Anonymous reports can be filed through Crime Stoppers Sioux Empire at 1-877-367-7007.

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NSIC tournament pairings are set

Matt Zimmer — Sun, 25 Feb 2024 02:55:45 GMT

SIOUX FALLS — The NSIC basketball tournament bracket is set.

The top 12 twelve teams (men's and women's) have qualified, and the top four have earned first-round byes.

So the Division II conference tournament begins Wednesday night, with the 5-8 seeds hosting the 9-12 seeds on their home floors, and the winners advancing to second round action at the Sanford Pentagon, which begins Saturday. The championship games are set for Tuesday, with the men's and women's winners each earning an automatic bid to the Division II NCAA tournament.

On the men's side, MSU-Mankato earned the No. 1 seed on the heels of a 26-2 regular season that saw them go 20-2 in NSIC play. Minnesota Duluth, MSU-Moorhead and Minot State earned the second, third and fourth seeds and first-round byes, respectively.

MSU-Mankato is the No. 1 women's seed as well, followed by UMary, Concordia-St. Paul and Northern State.

USF and Augustana's women each got in at the tail end of the standings, with the Cougars coming in 11th and the Vikings 12th.

Augustana's men finished 7th and USF 8th, meaning the Viking and Cougar men are both at home Wednesday night for first round action.

Here are the complete brackets for the tournament. All games at the Pentagon will be televised on Midco Sports.

NSIC women's tournament

First Round

Wednesday

(11) USF at (6) Minnesota Duluth, 6 p.m.

(10) Minot State at (7) St. Cloud State, 6 p.m.

(9) Winona State at (8) MSU-Moorhead, 6 p.m.

(12) Augustana at (5) SMSU, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday at Sanford Pentagon

Moorhead/Winona vs. MSU-Mankato, 4:30 p.m.

SCSU/Minot vs. UMary, 7 p.m.

Sunday at Sanford Pentagon

SMSU/Augie vs. Northern State, 4:30 p.m.

UMD/USF vs. Concordia, 7 p.m.

Monday at Sanford Pentagon

Semifinal, 4:30 p.m.

Semifinal, 7 p.m.

Tuesday at Sanford Pentagon

Championship, 7 p.m.

Men

First Round

Wednesday

(9) Bemidji State at (8) USF, 6 p.m.

(12) St. Cloud State at (5) SMSU, 5:30 p.m.

(11) Northern State at (6) Winona State, 6 p.m.

(10) Wayne State at (7) Augustana, 6 p.m.

Saturday at Sanford Pentagon

USF/BSU vs. MSU-Mankato, 11 a.m.

Augie/WSC vs. UMD, 1:30 p.m.

Sunday at Sanford Pentagon

SMSU/SCSU vs. Minot State, 11 a.m.

WSU/NSU vs. MSU-Moorhead, 1:30 p.m.

Monday at Sanford Pentagon

Semifinal, 11 a.m.

Semifinal, 1:30 p.m.

Tuesday at Sanford Pentagon

Championship, 4 p.m.

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Trampled by Turtles bringing concert for conservation to South Dakota

Luke Hagen — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 20:36:11 GMT

SIOUX FALLS — South Dakota pheasant hunting lived up to the hype for Dave Simonett.

That’s saying something considering all the places he’s visited while touring as the frontman of Trampled By Turtles, a successful bluegrass folk band that formed in Duluth, Minnesota, two decades ago.

“There were an incredible amount of birds,” Simonett said by phone, recalling his South Dakota trip near Redfield and Hitchcock this past season. “Whenever anybody kind of builds something up to you that much, you’re kind of skeptical.”

Simonett and his band took off much of last fall from touring. That allowed him to enjoy more time in the field than ever before, which included a trip to South Dakota. Now, he and Trampled by Turtles will be returning to perform on Thursday, Feb. 29, to kick off National Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic in Sioux Falls. The show, held at Washington Pavilion, is a fundraiser with proceeds going to Pheasants Forever and the organization’s habitat mission.

https://twitter.com/pheasants4ever/status/1759645471407014064

What has now turned into a passion for Simonett began in 2019 when he gave hunting a try. He connected with Pheasants Forever through a Saturday morning Minnesota radio show in which the nonprofit’s Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Bob St. Pierre co-hosts.

After that first hunt, Simonett and St. Pierre’s relationship grew over the years. And it was always a dream of St. Pierre for Pheasants Forever to hold a concert for habitat and conservation.

“You can have dreams,” St. Pierre said, “but unless you have a willing and able band, it’s just wishes and candy canes. Trampled, and specifically Dave, believed in the dream. I can’t tell you I’ve ever been this excited for a work event in my life.”

The show is closing in on a sellout. As of Friday morning, there were 80 tickets available for the 2,000-seat arena. St. Pierre said Pheasants Forever will gross over $100,000 with a sellout and sponsorships.

“It’s a really fun idea that Bob had for quite a while, and to see it come to fruition is wonderful,” Simonett said, “and to have it work financially is also wonderful. I love the idea of combining music and conservation. They are two worlds in which I spend a lot of my time and to see them come together is exciting.”

National Pheasant Fest is returning to Sioux Falls for the first time since 2018, when more than 28,000 people attended. It’s the second time the city is holding the event, which runs Friday, March 1 through Sunday, March 3, at the Denny Sanford Premier Center.

There will be more than 400 vendors and multiple seminars with experts from South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks and bird dog trainers, among others.

Before the three-day pheasant gathering gets underway, Simonett and Trampled by Turtles take the stage, with the show beginning at 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Simonett spoke with the Mitchell Republic prior to the event. Here are excerpts from the interview.

MR:

I read

your blog that you wrote in 2019

about your first time hunting. In that, you wrote that the overlap between the worlds of hunting and music is slim. And the worlds are culturally separated. Do you think since you wrote that, you’ve made a positive difference with the perception of hunting with some of your fans, and maybe encouraging people to give it a try?

DS: I hope so. I have kind of minimal first-hand experiences of that happening. But I will say that I do talk about hunting a lot with other bands that we’re with, other crews, and it comes up a lot. I feel like the more I talk about it with people, the more I find other people who if they’re not hunters yet, they’re open to the idea or are interested.

Preconceptions are dangerous. There is a lot of the non-hunting world that has preconceptions with hunting, right? And just the same, it goes the other way as well. Most people I talk with are so open and interested in learning about something new that the crossover possibility is probably much wider than I originally gave it credit for.

MR:

For this Sioux Falls show, how did this whole concert idea come together? The way I understand it, it was planned the way a lot of good ideas are, at the back of a pickup truck sitting on a tailgate after a hunt. Is that right?

DS: You’ve got that right.

Bob St. Pierre has wanted to do something like this for years. He asked us to play, I think it was 2019’s Pheasant Fest in the Twin Cities, he asked if we’d play a show there. It wasn’t quite as developed of an idea as we have now. We couldn’t do it, and the conversation at that point had just started.

Every year when the time came around, he kind of was talking about how he wanted to blend music and this event. And finally, there was a lot of tailgate talking about it. And this year, timing and location just work so well for us, being that the event is in South Dakota, which we haven’t played for a long time.

Thankfully everybody has been really supportive like Pepper Productions -- the people doing the work to put on the concert. They donated all their time to Pheasants Forever, which has been amazing. People in town seem to be excited about it. Timing was just everything.

MR:

I also read your submission about your

adopted hunting dog Hrbek

. How’s he doing?

DS: Hrbek is fantastic. He had a really great year hunting.

I have another dog now, too, but she was being trained while I was in South Dakota. So Hrbek was the dog that came out with me. It still just blows my mind how good of a hunting dog he’s become.

MR:

When you establish that partnership between yourself and your hunting dog, it’s so exciting to see them flush and retrieve. What’s more exciting for you, to see the rush of a bird getting up and watching your dog come back to you with it, or stepping on stage for a big show?

DS: Apples and oranges, maybe?

I’d say the more shocking rush has got to be the birds. I’ve stepped on stage for a long time, and bird hunting is still relatively new to me, so I’m sure that has something to do with it. It has that scare factor to it because it’s not fully expected when a bird jumps up, even if you have a dog on point.

I still get nervous, or maybe anxious is a better word, before every performance. Even after all this time, I'm still not fully comfortable walking out on stage in front of everyone. That feeling usually goes away during the first song, but it can be pretty intense for me beforehand. Playing is exciting, but not in the same way hunting is exciting. Playing music live for me is more akin to a train that's on the very edge of losing control. One false move here or there and disaster. That's way more dramatic than it actually is, but that's how it can feel a lot of the time. In reality I mess up quite frequently and I'd say the vast majority of those slips go unnoticed by anyone else.

MR:

This summer you have a pretty nice schedule. Some festivals, playing with Turnpike Troubadours, what are you looking forward to most and how do smaller shows like the one coming up in Sioux Falls compare to playing in a big arena?

DS: What I’m looking forward to the most, and this answer is generally the same answer for me every year, and that’s our big outdoor annual Duluth show we do every year. I say that just because — and it’s hard to pick a favorite venue — but it’s just my favorite place to play. It’s just a big homecoming show full of family and friends, old friends, people who’ve been with us since we started. And there’s really nowhere else quite like that for me.

As far as speaking to smaller shows compared to bigger shows, I love them all. They’re just different. A smaller show there’s some real intimacy and connection with the audience that you can’t get at an arena like when we were opening for Zach Bryan this year, or will probably happen when we’re opening for Turnpike. That’s cool in a different way because it’s crazy and huge. But it almost feels like you’re having a conversation with people when you can see their faces. I love it all and feel really lucky to be doing any of it, really.

MR:

Anything else I’m missing or you want to touch on about this upcoming trip to South Dakota?

DS: Yeah, I would want to mention the guy who is opening for us, Chester Floyd, some of the people may know him from “Meateater” the podcast. But he’s also a really great songwriter and he’s just starting out playing in front of people. He’s opened for us a couple times and he’s wonderful. I would encourage people to get there early for his set.

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South Dakota kills legislation that would raise minimum age to marry from 16 to 18

Jonathan Ellis / The Dakota Scout — Mon, 29 Jan 2024 21:16:23 GMT

PIERRE — A 1930s-era law that sets the minimum age to be married at 16 in South Dakota will remain unchanged following a divided vote Monday that crossed party lines.

The House State Affairs Committee voted 8-5 Monday, Jan. 29 to kill legislation that would have raised the minimum age of marriage to 18. Sponsored by Rep. Kadyn Wittman, the Sioux Falls Democrat called the legislation “crucial” to protecting minor girls from exploitation. From 2000 to 2020, 838 minors — ages 16 and 17 — were married.

“I have to tell you, I was shocked when I discovered this on our books last year,” Wittman said.

Although the law requires minors to have parental consent to wed, Wittman argued that some cultural and societal pressures could undercut what is best for a child.

North Dakota’s law is similar to South Dakota in that 16- and 17-year-olds must have consent, but the parent also must be present at signing. Minnesota removed its parental consent provisions in 2020, making the minimum age 18.

Wittman was supported by Yvonne Taylor, who represented the South Dakota Advocacy Network for Women. Taylor called it “common sense” to defer marriage to the age of maturity, noting that society doesn’t allow people under 21 to drink beer.

But Norman Woods, who represented Family Voice Action, said his organization had three concerns with the proposal. First, it presented marriage as the problem. In situations where there’s an abusive relationship, the abuse is the problem, not marriage, he noted.

Woods also objected to the notion that parents can’t protect their children, while also arguing that raising the age to marry while keeping the age of consent at 16 would encourage out-of-wedlock sex.

While calling Wittman’s efforts “noble,” Woods said there should be exceptions where a couple of 19 and 17 had an unplanned pregnancy.

“It shouldn’t be common for a 16-year-old or 17-year-old to get married,” he said.

Wittman said she was “disturbed” by the notion of conflating marriage and sex, saying a girl who is pregnant should be protected and not married off to the man who impregnated her.

She also questioned whether young people are mature enough to make such a profound decision early in life.

“God help me if I had married the person I thought I loved when I was 16,” she said.

Wittman was backed by fellow Democrat, House Minority Leader Oren Lesmeister when debate shifted to the committee. Speaking in front of an audience that included a couple dozen higher education students, the West River rancher apologized, but said he didn’t think 16-year-olds today are as mature as they were a few decades ago.

Rep. Jon Hansen, R-Dell Rapids, questioned Wittman on why she didn’t focus on the age of consent, rather than marriage. He asked Wittman why it wouldn’t be appropriate for a 19-year-old to marry a 17-year-old in a situation involving a pregnancy.

Wittman responded that there was no reason a couple couldn’t “push pause” for a year.

“I do not think it is ever OK for anyone under the age of 18 to ever get married,” she said.

But Rep. Gary Cammack, R-Union Center, said he felt the parental consent requirement was an appropriate safeguard. While the legislation was well intended, he said there should be room for exceptions.

“I have a little personal experience,” Cammack said. “My bride of 52 years was 17 when we got married.” That marriage has produced four sons and 10 grandchildren.

Rep. Becky Drury, a Rapid City Republican, said she supported the bill because its intent was to protect children from exploitation. She noted that parents who agree to a marriage give up parental rights because their child is emancipated.

“I can’t imagine a better way to protect young kids — young mothers — than to give them some guardrails until they reach the age of maturity,” she said.

Committee Chairman and House Majority Leader Will Mortenson, R-Fort Pierre, ended the debate with an argument that marriage should be encouraged, not discouraged. He dismissed the argument that there are age limits on alcohol and tobacco, because those are bad for people. Marriage, he said, is good for people.

While marriage rates are declining, surveys show that married couples are happier. And data show that children who grow up in married households enjoy better academic success and future earnings.

“Those are good things for society,” he said.

“I think we need to celebrate marriage.”

This story was originally published on TheDakotaScout.com.
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She was a park worker, slain on the job in 2001, killer unknown. Then a clue on a watch cracked the case.

Trisha Taurinskas — Mon, 02 Oct 2023 12:01:00 GMT

LUVERNE, Minnesota — Carrie Nelson’s slaying remained a mystery for years before a DNA hit led to justice.

Nelson was 20 years old when her body was discovered inside Minnesota’s Blue Mounds State Park office on May 20, 2001. She had been bludgeoned to death and left to die in an apparent robbery, marking the first death in more than 110 years in a Minnesota state park.

In the months and years following Nelson’s death, more than 500 tips were called in to the Luverne Police Department, the agency handling the case. Each tip led investigators to a dead end — until new DNA samples led to a match in the South Dakota offender database.

In May of 2007, Randy Swaney was charged in the murder of Nelson after his DNA was discovered on a watch left at the scene of the crime. More than one year later, he was convicted and sentenced to life in prison, without parole.

In broad daylight

At around 2:30 p.m., roughly an hour before shift change, campers noticed a white car speeding away from the Blue Mounds State Park office building.

Moments later, another vehicle pulled up to the office building to purchase a permit. The driver, Marion Brady, assumed the park worker would come out to issue the permit, yet went inside after waiting for quite some time, according to court documents.

When Brady opened the door, she saw one young woman lying on the ground — and another running out the door.

The woman fleeing from the office was Nelson’s new coworker, Rebecca White, who had been training with Nelson that morning.

White was staying with her parents that day at the campground. After hearing the white car speed away, she went to check on Nelson.

That’s when she discovered Nelson on the ground, unresponsive, behind the customer service desk, in a pool of blood. Next to Nelson, she saw broken objects and a pack of cigarettes, according to court documents.

In a panic, White ran out the door to seek help. Marion did the same.

White’s father rushed to the office and called 911, prompting a swarm of officers to arrive on the scene — and the search for Nelson’s killer began.

Honing in on clues

Nelson put up a fight.

In what investigators determined to be a robbery gone wrong, Nelson found herself in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The crime scene led investigators to believe Nelson fought back against her assailant, signs of a struggle were everywhere. A dangling phone receiver and a trail of blood indicated she likely tried to escape and call for help.

Yet, in the end, she was overpowered. Roughly $2,000 was taken from the scene, along with checks and 12-pound engraved decorative rock.

In the midst of the struggle, though, the assailant left behind plenty of clues. Most notably, a pack of Doral 100 cigarettes and a somewhat rare wristwatch.

Investigators with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) swept the scene for fingerprints. While most matched Nelson's, investigators discovered fingerprints on the wristwatch that did not match the DNA profile of Nelson or her coworkers.

The stolen 12-pound rock was discovered on the side of the road near the campground. Investigators determined it to be the murder weapon, which the assailant used to hit Nelson in the head.

The items and fingerprints left at the scene, along with eyewitness accounts of a large white car speeding away, gave investigators hope that they’d find the killer.

Yet that wouldn’t happen until roughly six years later, when new DNA technology yielded new samples.

Finally, a trial

While DNA samples had been collected on the watch in 2001, technological advancements allowed investigators to build out an even more detailed DNA profile in 2006, which included new samples previously undetected on the watch’s wristband.

The new samples were checked against Minnesota’s database, yet yielded no results. Next, investigators expanded their database to outside states, and in April 2007, they discovered a match in South Dakota's offender registry.

One month later, Swaney was charged for Nelson’s murder. He was serving time at South Dakota State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on an unrelated conviction at the time.

During his trial, prosecutors presented family pictures of Swaney with Doral 100 cigarettes and images of Swaney wearing a watch similar to the one discovered at the scene, which included his DNA.

Experts testified that the DNA match yielded more than 99% certainty that it belonged to Swaney.

Prosecutors also presented the jury with evidence that Swaney and his wife owned a cream-colored 1984 Oldsmobile at the time of Nelson’s slaying — a vehicle consistent with eyewitness accounts from those who witnessed a white vehicle leaving the scene.

One inmate who served time alongside Swaney in South Dakota testified that Swaney had provided details about Nelson’s murder, including his fear that his DNA could be found on a watch a woman had ripped off his wrist during the struggle, according to court documents.

The defense attempted to cast doubt on the evidence — and divert the blame to another possible suspect.

On the stand, Swaney said he struggled with gambling and alcohol addictions at the time of Nelson’s death. He claimed he could have visited the campground to check rates for a family vacation.

“After looking at everything, it looks like I had been there and just don’t remember,” he said on the stand, according to an Associated Press article from the time. “We are always looking for new parks to experience.”

Still, Nelson was convicted and sentenced to life in prison, without parole.

The jury deliberated for just six hours before delivering a guilty verdict.

Following the verdict, Nelson's parents described, in part, the anguish their daughter's murder had caused the family.

"My security, happiness and trust that all will be well is gone," Nelson's mother, Nan Kaufenberg, told the Associated Press.

Following the verdict, Swaney maintained his innocence. He is serving his life sentence at Minnesota’s Oak Park Heights Correctional Facility.

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